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>> it is my task to report the state of the union. to improve it is the task of us all. tonight, thanks to the grit and determination of the american people, there is much progress to report. after decade of grinding war our brave men and women in uniform are coming home. [ cheers and applause ]

>> after years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over 6 million new jobs. we buy more american cars than we have in five years and less foreign oil than we have in 20. [ applause ] >> our housing market is healing, our stock market is rebounding and consumer's patience and homeowners enjoy stronger protections than ever before. [ applause ] >> so, together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and we can say with renewed confidence that the state of our

union is stronger. [ applause ] >> but we gather here knowing that there are millions of americans whose hard work and dedication have not yet been rewarded. our economy is adding jobs, but too many people still can't find full time employment. corporate profits have skyrocketed to all-time who is. for porn a decade, wages and in comes have barely budged. it is our generation's task then to reunite the true engine of american economic growth, a rising thriving middle class. [ applause ]

>> it is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country. the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead no matter where you come from, who you look like or who you love. it is our unfinished task to make sure this government works on behalf of the many and not just the few that it encourages free enterprise, rewards initiative and opens the door of opportunity to every child across this great nation. [ applause ] >> the american people don't expect government to solve every problem. they don't expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue, but they do expect us to put the nation's interests

before party. [ applause ] >> they do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can, for they know that america moves forward only when we do so together, and that the responsibility of improving this union remains the task of us all. our work must begin by making some basic decisions about our budget decisions that will have a huge impact on the strength of our recovery. over the last few years both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit by more than

$2.5 trillion, mostly through spending cuts, but also raising taxes on the wealthiest 1% of americans. as a result, we are more than halfway toward the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction the economists say we need to stabilize our finances. now we need to finish the job. the question is how. in 2011, congress pass said a law saying at a if both parties couldn't agree on a plan to reach our deficit goal, about a trillion dollars worth of budget cuts would automatically go into effect this year. these sudden, harsh arbitrary cuts would jeopardize our military readiness. they devastate priorities like education and energy and medical research. they would certainly slow our recovery, and cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs. that's why democrats

republicans, business leaders and economists have already said that these cuts, known here in washington as the sequester are a really bad idea. now, some in congress have proposed preventing only the defense cuts by making bigger cuts to things like education and job training, medicare, and social security benefits. that idea is even worse. [ applause ] >> yes the biggest driver of our long-term debt is the rising cost of health care for an aging population. those of us who care about

programs like medicare must embrace the need for modest reforms. otherwise, our retirement programs will crowd out the investments we need for our children and compromise a secure retirement for future generations. we can't ask senior citizens and working families to shoulder the entire burden of deficit reduction while asking nothing more from the wealth yeast and most powerful. [ applause ] >> we won't grow the middle class by shifting the cost of health care or college on to families that are already struggling or by forcing communities to lay off more teachers and more cops and and more firefighters. motor americans, democraties republicans and independents understand that we can't just cut our way to prosperity. they know that broad-based economic growth requires a balanced approach to deficit reduction, with spending cuts and revenue and with everybody

doing their fair share. that's the approach i offer tonight. on medicare, i'm prepared to enact reforms to achieve the same amount of health care savings by the beginning of the next decade as those proposed by the bipartisan simpson-bowles commission. already the afford automobile care act is helping to slow the growth of health care costs. [ applause ] >> the reforms i'm proposing go even further. we'll reduce taxpayer subsidies to prescription drug companies and ask more from the wealthiest seniors. we'll bring down costs by% changing the way our government pays for medicare, because our medical bills shouldn't be based on the number of tests ordered or days spent in the hospital. they should be based on the quality of care that our seniors receive. [ applause ]

>> i am open to decision reforms from both parties so long as they don't vital a secure retirement. our government shouldn't make promises that we can't keep, but we must keep the promises we've lard made. [applause] >> obama: to hit the rest of our testify sit-reduction target we should to what leaders in both parties have already suggested. and save hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of tax loopholes and tax deductions for the well-connected. after all why would we choose to make deeper cuts to medicare

just for tax breaks. how is that fair? deficit reduction is a big emergency justifying making cuts in social security benefits but not closing some loopholes. how does that promote growth? [applause] now is our best chance. for bipartisan comprehensive tax reform that encourages job creation and helps bring town the testify sit. --the deficit. [applause] we can get this done. the american people deserve a tax code that helps small businesses spend less time filling out complicateed forms and more time expanding and hiring. a tax code that lowers incentive

incentives to move jobs overseas and lowers tax rates for businesses and manufacturers who are creating jobs right here in america. that's what tax forms can deliver. that's what we can to together. [applause] i realize that tax reform and entitlement reform will not be easy. the politics will be hard for both sides. none of us get 100% of what we want. but the alternative will cost us jobs. hurt our economy. visit hardship on millions of hard-working americans. so let's set party interest aside and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings and wise investments in our future. and let's to it without the brinksmanship that stresses

consumers and scares off investors. the greatest nation on earth-- [applause] --the greatest nation on earth cannot conduct business by drifting from one manufacturer crisis to the next. we can't to it. [applause] let's agree. let's agree right here, right now to keep the people's government open and pay our bills on time, and always uphold the full faith and credit of the united states of america. [applause] the american people have worked to hard to long rebuilding from one crisis to see elected officials cause another. now most of us agree that a plan

to refuse the deficit must be part of our agenda. let's be clear. testify sit reduction alone is not an economic plan. [applause] an growing economy must be the north star that guides our efforts. every day we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation. how to we attract more jobs to our shores? how to we equip our people with the skills they need to get those jobs? and how to we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living? now, a year and a half ago i put forward an american jobs act the independent economists said would create more than 1 million new jobs. i thank congress for passing some of this agenda.

i urge this congress to pass the rest. tonight i layout additional proposals that are fully paid for and fully consistent with the budget framework both parties agree to just 1 months 18 months ago. let me repeat. nothing that i propose should increase our deficit by a single dime. it is not a bigger government that we need, but a smarter government that invests in priorities and includes broad base growth. that's what we should be looking for. [applause] our first priority is making america a magnate for new jobs and manufacturing. after shutting jobs for more than ten years our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. caterpillar is bringing jobs

back from japan. ford is bringing jobs back from mexico. and this year apple will start making macs in america again. [applause] this are things we can do right now to accelerate this trend. last year we created our first manufacturing innovation institute in youngstown, ohio. an once shut down warehouse is now a lab where workers are mastering 3-d printing that will revolutionize everything. there is no reason we can't have this in every town. where business will work with the tent of defense and energy will turn into global centers of high tech jobs. i ask this congress to help create a network of 15 of these hubs and guarantee that the next revolution and manufacturing is made right here in america.

we can get that done. [applause] now if we want to make the best pro tuckets we also have to invest in the best ideas. every dollar we invest to map the human genome returned $140 to our economy. every dollar. today our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to alzheimer's. they're developing drugs and regenerating damaged organs. devising new materials to make batteries make ten times more powerful. now is not the time to gut science and innovation. now is the time to encourage research not seen since the

height of the space race. we need to make shows investments. [applause] today no area hoeds more props than our investments than american energy. after years of talking about it, we're finally poised to control our own energy future. we pro tuesday more oil at home than we have in 15 years. we have doubled the distance our cars are go on a gallon of gas and the amount of renewable energy that regenerate from wind and solar with tens of thousands of jobs to show for it. we produce more natural gas than ever before and nearly everyone's energy bill is lower because of it. in the last four years our missions of the dangerous carbon pollution that threatens our planet has actually fallen. but for the sake of our children and our future we must to more

to combat climate change. [applause] now, it's true that no single event makes a trend but the fact is that 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. heatwaves, droughts wildfires floods all are now more frequent and more intense. we can choose to believe that weresuper storm sandy and the most severe drought in decades and some of the worst fires that some states have ever seen were all a freak coins coincidence or we can choose to believe in

overwhelming judgment of science and act before it's too late. [applause] now the good news is we can make meaningful progress on this issue while driving strong economic growth. pursue a bipartisan market base solution to fight climate change. but if congress won't act soon to protect future generations, i will. [applause] i will direct my cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take now and in the future to reduce pollution prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change and speed the transition of energy. for yearswind energy added half of

new power passty in america. let's generate even more. solar energy gets cheaper by the year. let's drive down cost even further. as long as countries like china goes all in on clean energy, so must we. in the meantime, the natural gas boom has led to cleaner power and greater energy and independence. we need to encourage that. that's where my administration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and it was permits. that has got to be part of the all-of-the-above plan. but i want to work with congress to encourage natural gas to burn even cleaner and protect our air and water. much of our new found energy is drawn from land, waters, that we, the public, own together. so tonight i propose that we use our oil and gas revenues to fund an energy security trust to

shift our cars and trucks off oil for good. if a nonpartisan coalition of ceos and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, then so can we. let's take our advice and free our families and businesses from the painful spikes in gas prices that we put up wither for far too long. i'm issuing a new goal for america. let's cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next 20 years. [applause] we'll work with the states to do it. those states with the best ideas to create jobs and lower energy bills by constructing more efficient buildings will receive federal support to make that happen. america's energy sector is just one part of an aging infrastructure badly in need of repair. ask any ceo where they would rather locate and hire, a country with deteriorateing roads

and bridges or one with high speed rail and internet, high tech schools, self healing power grips. the ceos of america are companies that brought hundreds of america to north carolina and said if we upgrade our infrastructure they'll bring even more jobs. that's the attitude of a lot of companies around the world. i know you want these job-creating jobs in your districts. i've seen all those ribbon cuttings. so tonight i propose a fix-it-first program put it on the list of more urgent repairs like thousands of bridges across the country. [applause]

and to make sure taxpayers don't shoulder the whole burden i'm proposing a partnership to rebuild america that attracts private capital modern ports to move our goods. modern pipelines to with stand storms. modern schools worthy of our children. let's prove there is no better place to do business than here in the united states of america. let's start right away. we can get this on it. part of our rebuilding effort must also involve our housing sector. the good news our housing market is finally healing from the lapsecollapse of 2007. home prices are rising at the fastest pace in six years. home purchases are up nearly 50%. and construction is expanding again. but even with mortgage rates near a 50-year low too many families with solid credit who want to buy a home are being

rejected. too many families who never missed a payment and want to refinance are being told no. that's holding our entire economy back. we need to fix it. right now there is a bill in this congress that would give every responsible homeowner in america the chance to save $3,000 a year by refinancing at today's rates. democrats and republicans have supported it before. so what are we waiting for? take a vote and send me that bill. [applause] why would we be against that? why would that be a problem helping folks refinance? right know overlapping

regulations. keeping responsible families hoed their hope. let's streamline the process and help our economy grow. now these initiatives in manufacturing, energy, infrastructure housing all these things will help entrepreneurs and small business owners expand and create new jobs. but none of it will matter unless we also equip our citizens with the skills and training to fill those jobs. [applause] and that has to start at the earliest possible age. you know, study after study shows the sooner a child begins learning the better he or she toes down the road. but today fewer than 3 in 10 4-year-old's are enrolled.

school. for poor kids who need help the most, this lack of access to preschool education can shad toe them for the rest of their lives. tonight i propose working with states to make high-quality preschool available to every single child in america. that's something that we should be able to do. [applause] every dollar we invest in high quality early childhood education can seven $7 early on by reducing boosting graduation rates reducing teen pregnancy and reducing violent crime. educating our children in

georgia and oklahoma, studies shows that students able to read and to math at grade level graduate high school hold a job job, form more stable families of their own. we know this works. let's to what works and make sure that none of our children start the race of life already behind. let's give our kids that chance. [applause] let's also make sure that a high school diploma puts our kids on a path for a good job. folks in germany graduate with the equivalent of a technical degree from one of our colleges. when they leave high school they've been trained for the jobs that are there. now schools like p-tech in

brooklyn, a collaboration of public schools and the city of new york and. >> joy: bm, students will graduate with a high school diploma and an associates degree in commuters or engineer engine--computerrers and engineering. we need to give every student opportunities like this. four years ago we started race to the top. the competition that convinced almost every state to develop smarter curricula and higher standards, all on one-third of what we spend on education each year. tonight i'm announcing a new challenge, redesign america's high school to better equip graduates for the high tech economy. we've create classes that focus on science technology, engineering and math. the skills employers are looking for to fill jobs that are there right now and will be there in

the future. now even with better high schools most young people will need some higher education. it's a simple fact. the more education you've got, the more likely you are to have a good job and work your way in the middle class. but today's skyrocketing cost price too many young people out of a higher education or saddle them with unsustainable debt. through tax credits grants, and better loans we've made college more afford be for families and students over the last few years, but taxpayers can't keep subsidizing higher and higher costs for higher education. colleges must do their part to keep costs down, and it's our job to make sure that they to. [applause] so tonight i ask congress to change the higher education act so that affordability and value are included in determining

which colleges receive certain types of federal aid. [applause] and tomorrow my administration will release a new college score card that parents and students can use to compare schools based on a simple criteria. where you can get the most bang for your education albuquerque. educational buck. to grow our middle class we have to have the education that today's jobs will require. but we must have a place where everyone who is willing to work, everyone who is willing to work hard and have a chance to get ahead. our economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving, hopeful i amimmigrants. right now leaders from the business labor, law enforcement, business communities, they all agree that time has come to pass

comprehensive immigration reform. now is the time to do it. now is the time to get it on it. [applause] now is the time to get it on it. done. --now is the time to get it done. real reform means stronger border security, and we can build on the progress that my administration has already made, putting more boots on the southern border than at any other time in our history. and reducing illegal crossings to the lowest level in 40 years. real reform means a responsible pathway to earn citizenship. a path that means passing a background check. learning english and going to the back of the line behind folks who are trying to come here legally. [applause]

and real reform means fixing the legal immigration system to cut waiting periods and attract the highly skilled entrepreneurs and engineers that will help create jobs and grow our economy. in other words we know what needs to be done. when we speak bipartisan groups in both chambers are working working diligently to drafter a bill. let's get it on it. send me a bill and i will sign it right away, and america will be better for it. let's get it done. let's get it done. [applause] well we can't stop there.

we know our economy is stronger when our wives our mothers, our daughters, can live their lives free from discrimination in the workplace, and free from the fear of domestic violence. today the senate bassed the violence against women's act that joe biden originally wrote almost 20 years ago and i now urge the house to do the same. [applause] good job joe. and i ask this congress to at the claire that women should earn a living equal to their efforts. finally pass the paycheck fairness act this year. [applause] we know our economy is stronger

when we reward an honest's day work with honest wages. but today a full full time worker earning minimum wage earns $14,000 a year even with the tax relief we put in place. a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. that's wrong. that's why the hast time this congress raised the minimum wage 19 states chose to bump theirs even higher. let's at the claire the declare in the wealthiest nation on earth no one should work and still live in poverty. let's raise the minimum wage. we should be able to get that done. [applause] this single step would raise the incomes of millions of working

families. it could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank. rent or eviction. scraping by or finally getting ahead. for businesses across the country it would mean customers with more money in their pockets. and a whole lot of folks out there who would needless help from government. in fact, working folks should not wait year after year for the minimum wage go up. here is an idea that governor romney and i actually agreed on last year. let's tie the minimum wage to the cost of living so it finally becomes a wage you can live on. [applause] tonight let's also recognize there are communities in this country no matter where how hard you work it's virtually impossible to get ahead.

factory towns decimated from years of plants packing up, inescapable pockets of poverty urban and rural where young adults are still fighting for their first job. america is not a place where chance of birth or circumstance should decide our destiny. that's why we need to build new ladder of opportunity for the middle class. let's offer incentives who hire americans who got what it take to get that job opening but they've been out of work so long they tonight know what means to work any more. this year my administration will begin to partner with 20 of the hardest-hit towns in america to get these communities back on their feet. we'll work with local leaders to target resources public safety, education, and housing. we'll give new tax credits for businesses that hire and invest, and we'll work to strength

families by removing the the the financial deterents to marriage. to help fatherhood. what is proves a man is not to father a child but to raise one. we want to encourage that. we want to help that. [applause] stronger families. stronger communities. a stronger america. it is this kind of prosperity: broad shared, built on a thriving middle class that has us been the source of our progress at hope. it's also the foundation of our power and influence throughout the world. tonight we stand united in saluting the troops and

civilians who sacrifice every day to protect us. because of them we can say with confidence that america will complete its mission in afghanistan and achieve our objective of at the feeting the core of al-qaeda. [applause] already we have brought only 33,000 of our brave service men and women. this spring our forces will move into a support role while afghan security forces take the lead. tonight i can announce that over the next year another 34,000 american troops will come home from afghanistan. this draw down will continue. and by the end of next year our war in afghanistan will be over. [applause]

beyond 2014 america's commit to an unified and sovereign afghanistan will enture. but the nature of our commitment will change. we're negotiating an agreement with the of a began government that focuses on two missions:s: training afghan forces, and pursue the remnants of al-qaeda and their affiliates. today the organization that attacked us on 9/11 is a shadow much it's former self. it's true. different al-qaeda affiliates and extremist groups have emerged from the arabian

peninsula to africa. the threat these groups pose is evolving. but to meet this threat we don't need to send tens of thousands of our sons and daughters abroad to occupy our nations but instead we need help for them to provide their own security. and where necessary to arrange capabilities we'll continue to take direct action against those terrorists who pose the gravest threat to americans. now, as we to, we must enlist our values in the fight. that's why my administration has worked tiresly to forge a durable legal framework to guide

our anti-terrorism methods. we've kept our congress fully informed. no one should take my word for it that we're to go things the right way. the month ahead i'll engage congress to ensure that our targeting detention of terrorists will be within our system of laws and checks and balances, but it will be transparent to our people and the world. [applause] of course, our challenges tonight end with al-qaeda. america will continue to lead the effort to prevent the spread of the world's most dangerous weapons. the regime in north korea must know they will only achieve security and prosperity by meeting their international obligations. what we saw last night will only further isolate them as we stand by our alleys strengthen our

missile defense. likewise the leaders of iran must recognize now is the time for diplomat diplomatic resolution because a coalition stands to at the manned that they meet their obligation. and we'll do what is necessary to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon. [applause] at the same time, we'll engage russia to seek further reduction in nuclear arsenals and continue leading secure nuclear materials that could fall into the wrong hands. our ability to influence others he had depends on our willingness to lead and meet our obligations. america must also face the rapidly growing threat from cyberattacks.

[applause] now we know that hackers steal people's identity and e-mails. we know companies swipe our corporate secrets. now our enemies are seeking to sabotage our power grid, air traffic control systems. we cannot look back years from now and wonter why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy. that's where earlier today i signed a new executive order that will strengthen our cyberdefenses by increasing information sharing and developing standards to protect our national security, our jobs and our privacy. but now--now congress must act as well. by passing legislation to give our government a greater capacity to secure our networks

and deter attacks. this is something that we should be able to get done on a bipartisan basis. maas maas now even as we protect our people we should remember that today's world presents not just danger, not just threats but it presents opportunities. to boost american exports support american jobs, and level the playing field in the growing markets of asia. we intend to complete negotiations on a trans-pacific partnership. tonight i'm announcing we'll advance a partnership with the european union because trade that is fair and free across the atlantic supports millions of good-paying american jobs. [applause] we also know that progress in the most impoverished parts of our world enriches us all.

nod only because it creates new markets, more stable order in certain regions of the world but also because it's the right thing to do. this are many places people live on little more than $1 a day. so the united states will join with our alleys to irradicate such extreme poverty in the next two decades by connecting people in the global economy. empowering women and the brightest minds to serve and helping communities to feed empower and educate themselves. by saving today's children from preventable deaths and providing the promise of an a.i.d.s.-free generation, which is within our reach. [applause] you see america must remain a beacon to all who seek freedom

during this period of historic change. i saw the power of hope last year in rangoon in burma welcomed an american president into a home where she had been in prison for years. where thousand of burmese line the streets waving american flags, including a man who said there is justice and law in the united states. i want our country to be like that. in defense of freedom from america to africa, from europe to asia, as they at the manned universal rights and support stable transition to democracy. [applause] we know the process will be messy and we cannot presume to

dictate the course of change in countries like egypt, but we can and will insist for respect for the fundamental rights of all people. we'll keep the pressure on a syrian regime that has murdered its own people and support opposition leaders who support therespectthe rights of every syrian. and we'll remain steadfast in in the pursuit and security of a lasting peace. [applause] these are the messages i'll deliver when i travel to the middle east next month. all this work depends on the courage and sacrifice of those who serve in dangerous places at great personal risk. our tip plow mats, our intelligenceintelligence officers,

and men and women of the united states armed forces. as long as i'm command center chief we'll do whatever we must to protect those who serve their country abroad, and we'll maintain the best military that the world has ever known. [applause] we'll invest in new capabilities even as we reduce waste and war-time spending. we'll insure equal treatment for all service members and equal benefits for their families, gay and straight. [applause] we will true draw upon the courage and skills of sisters moms,

that women have proven under fire that they are ready for combat. we'll keep faith with our veterans providing mental healthcare for our wounded warriors. [applause] supporting our military families families giving our veterans the benefits and education and job opportunities that they have earned. i want to thank my wife michelle and dr. jill biden for their continued tedcation for serving our military families as well as they have served others. thank you, honey. thank you, jill. [applause] defending our freedom though, is not just the job of our

military alone. we must all to our part to make sure our god-given rights are protected here at home. that included one of the most fundamental rights of a democracy. the right to vote. [applause] now, when any american no matter where they live or what their party are denied that right because they can't afford to wait for five or six or seven hours just to cast their ballot, we are betraying our ideals. [applause] so tonight i'm announcing a

nonpartisan commission to improve the voting experience in america. it definitely needs improvement. i'm asking two long-time experts in the field who, by the way recently served as the top attorneys for my campaign, and for governor romney's campaign, to lead it. we can fix this, and we will. american people at the manned it and so does our democracy. [applause] of course, what i said tonight matters little if we tonight on together to protect our most precious resource. our children. it has been two months since newtown. i know this is not the first time this country has at the debated

how to reduce gun violence, but this time it's different. the overwhelming majority of americans, americans who believe in the second amendment have come together around common sense reform. like background checks that had make it harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun. senators-- [applause] --senators of both parties are working together on tough new laws to prevent the very sale of gunsresale ofguns to criminals. police chiefs are working to get guns off their streets. they're tired of seeing their police being out-gunned. these proposals deserve a vote in congress.

[applause] now, if you want to vote no, that's your choice. but these proposals deserve a vote. in the two months since newtown more than a thousand birthdays graduations have been stolen from our lives by a bull bullet in a gun. more than a thousand. one of those that we lost was a young girl who was 15 years old. she loved fig newtons. she was a majorette. she was so good to her friends they all thought they were her best friend. just three weeks ago she was

here in washington with her classmates performing for her country at my inauguration. a week later she was shot and killed in a chicago park after school. just a mile away from my house. her parents are in this chamber tonight, along with more than twos to americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. they deserve a vote. [applause] they deserve a vote. they deserve a vote.

babby giffords deserves a vote. the families of newtown deserve a vote. the families of aurora deserve a vote. the families of countless other communities ripped open by gun violence they deserve a simple vote. [applause] they deserve a simple vote. our actions had not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. in fact, no laws, no initiatives initiatives, no administrative acts will perfectly solve all the challenges i've outlined tonight. but we were never sent here to be perfect. we were sent here to make what difference we can. to secure this nation, expand

opportunity, uphold our ideals through the hard often frustrating, but the absolutely necessary work of self-government. we were sent here to look out for our fellow americans the same way they look out for one another every single today usually without fanfare all across this country. we should follow their example. we should follow the example of a new york city nurse ms. sánchez. when hurricane sandy plunged her hospital into darkness she was not thinking about how her own home was faring. her mind was on the 20 precious newborns in her care and the rescue plan she devised that kept them all safe. we should follow a north miami

woman who went she arrived to vote, she was told it might be six hours. time ticked by. her concern was not about her aching body or her aching feet but whether folks would be able to get there safe. hour after hour people stayed there to support her because she is 102 years old. they erupted in cheers when she put on a sticker that read "i voted." [applause] [applause]

we should follow the example of a police officer when a gunman open fired on a sikh temple in wisconsin. brian was the first to arrive, and at the not consider his own safety. he fought back until help arrived, and ordered his fellow officers to protect the safety of the fellow americans worshiping inside. even as he lay bleeding from 12 bullet wounds. when asked how he is it that, brian said, that's just the way we're made. that's just the way we're made. we may do different jobs, and wear different uniforms, and hold different views than the person beside us but as americans we all share the same proud titles. we are citizens.

it's a word that doesn't just describe our nationality or legal status. it describes the way we're made. it describes what we believe. it captures the enduringed with this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations. our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others, and well into our third century as a nation it remains the task of us all as citizens of these united states to be the authors of the next great chapter of our american story. thank you, god bless you, and god bless these united states of america. [applause] >> all right current's coverage of the state of the union you just heard the united states of united states of america saying

that the state of our union is strong. it's a message that we're used to with these states of the unions. we're covering this with john fugelsang, and michael shure is of course, the host of the war room he's in san francisco, and david shuster is in d.c. covering this on the ground for us. i believe i'm simply too jaded to give an opinion on this that is going to surprise you. hit me start with john and get his thoughts on this. >> john: no, no, cenk, i think you can be much more jaded than we've heard seen. it was a speech with a lot of highs and lows, and things for progressives to appreciate, and things to be suspect of. i look forward to getting your thoughts, cenk, on the glowing terms used to describe the tpp. that some say will allow a global china trade.

another highlight raising minimum wage to $9. something that would have been a great idea five years ago, ten years ago. it's good to hear it now. reducing the deficit by 4 trillion-dollar. and for me it was fun to see which things john boehner chose not to stand for. he did not stand for we need to pay our bills. at the not stand for a nation that is more important than a party. and he did not stand for the 102-year-old who waited hours to vote. however, it's fun watching democrats and republicans blaming each other for an economy wrecked by republicans and democrats. and the president calling out to the people watching the show, speaking beyond those to those beyond the chamber and talking to those watching the show. talking about climate change, i

wish i would have made my drinking words comprehensive or get that done. >> michael, what is your take away on the speech welcome. >> i'm going to be less--i'm glad you're going last, cenk although i shouldn't be glad you're going last. this speech will forever be remembered if it's remembered at all as the gun speech. it was very candid, they deserve a vote. they deserve a vote. they deserve a vote. putting guns last was a tactical bit of speech writing. i think that it was very good tactically because what it was able to do is make everybody in america wait to hear about what he was going to say about guns. i think he said it well. they deserve a vote. they deserve a vote. >> cenk: yes apparently i'm not going last because i'm going to jump in before alexis. look, it's a great rhetorical line, and it sounds really good,

but that's the heart of what my objection so this speech. the $9 minimum wage a good start. the voting rights commission is very positive. but they deserve a vote, no, they deserve a lot more than that. >> but cenk, come on, cenk. >> cenk: what he's say something we're going to give a symbolic vote. we know we're going to lose on the assault weapons and we might lose on high capacity magazines and universal background checks which 85% of the country agrees with, to that i say whoop-de-do when you're expecting to lose. >> michael: who wants your magical thinking either. it's not just going to happen overnight. it has to happen with a vote. get these people on the record. get them back in their districts by 2014, and then by a reasonable time there after you're going to have results from it. this is a president talking about gun control when the majority of republicans

representatives, it's how you start these things. >> cenk: it's a lot of starting, not a lot of finishing. alexis your thoughts. >> i agree with the part on gun control. i had goose bumps and i think it will resonate with the american people. i think his big idea on preschool was really one of the more visionary potential policies things that he threw out this. it reminded me of his first--i think it was when he was speaking to both houses, it wasn't the state of the union he said he wanted every american to get a high school degree. and so in some ways it's like coming back to that. let's really focus on getting americans, organize around education from preschool to high school that's going to build our economy. that's going to make us grow together. that was really important. the other thing that was critical wasn't--it kind of came

in the end but we saw highlights all the way through. in some ways he was highlighting all of our--all of our government workers as individuals, and as heroes without really highlighting the role of government. >> cenk: yes. >> john: there was a little bit of back and forth on that that i couldn't put my finger on. >> john: i thought that he artfully addressed that. he was really calling the republican congress to task, and he delivered it without saying the word "drone" from his lips. >> cenk: i've watched a coupe of these. it's a how many of decades couple of decades following. he's going say this, he'll get

credit for it. they'll propose it lose, and then they'll be satisfied that they got a vote. alexis, to your point every single president i've heard in my lifetime now, how many decades has it been, education education, education in the state of the union. yet our education still sucks. someone everybody has comprehensive education ideas and we tonight get a lot of done in terms of education. so i know i'm jaded but it's because i've watched too many of these. >> john: of course talking a good game on education while funding it, i wasn't inspired by invoking the german standard making sure that all graduate highhigh schoolgraduates learned a train. i'll be impressed when i see numbers on pair with funding. if anybody had get it on it is this guy. i don't think governor romney would have touched education

funding if he were in the white house. >> that's what scares me. he played a huge point that none of these things that i'm going to talk about in the next 40 minutes are going to raise a single time. that's a huge challenge. you want to make a case of how government can be effective, but you ton want to make a case for government spending. that's a huge problem. >> cenk: alexis just nailed it right this. look, he said he's going to do this extra investment in education, etc. but yet he's not going to raise the deficit at all which means giant spending cuts elsewhere or it's not really realistic and he doesn't think he can get it ton, and it's just to be quote/unquote artful. i thought which elected a democratic president and he said he's not in favor of big government. he said he's in favor of smart government artful, sounds nice. but why help republican framing when saying small government.

it could have been worse. >> michael: i. >> john: i would submit to you that he was reframing it. and by talking about having smart government instead of big government, it goes to the heart of what we were talking about. >> cenk: david shuster. >> this was a not so subtle shot towards marco rubio when the president mentioned violence against women act marco rubio voted against that today. that was a subtle jab this. and something that played well with the american people, the white house went into the speech knowing that the american people hate congress. he talked to members of congress like they're children, treat them derision that a lot of american people have. and i saw you at the ribbing cutting. all of this was condescending

but thoughtfully done and effective. keep in mind this was not a policy speech but politics speech. and the white house politics is to continue to at the mean, belittle and put the g.o.p. in its place so they can win the political battles which are coming which michael shure identified the big one which americans are paying most attention to, and that is guns. putting the issue of guns at the end and making it simple by saying this simply deserves a vote, the president was going above the heads of the pundits, the lawmakers and correspondents correspondents, going to the american people and saying these people are unreasonable if they're not going to allow a simple vote on an issue as important as this one. >> cenk: david makes some good points there on the issue of the lines on ribbon cutting the manufactured crises. those are good political lines more aggressive than we're used to from president obama. tonight get me wrong this were

obviously positive parts of the speech. but to any of you believe we're going to win on assault weapons especially given the president seems to be signaling that they're not going to fight hard. >> a win right now given that harry reid, the democratic reid democratic leader in the senate is not going along. a vote would be a political victory in a town that doesn't want to do this. the president is being pragmatic and he's not going as far as progressives would like, but if you can get the votes it's more progress than people think he can get right now. >> john: and in fairness to the president, what toes mean that we're going to win an assaults weapon. the president will win even by losing. harry reid almost lost his job to someone wearing a tinfoil hat hat. so i think that harry reid is going to let this die but that's

how the president wins. if the president fights a battle that he knows he's doomed to fail god for bid there is a massacre or the next ten massacres he can point his finger right to the people who killed this bill and say you own this. that would be a political win for this president at a bloody cost. >> cenk: your analysis is right. but if he wanted a legislative and policy victory, of course, what he would to is go to fellow democrats as your appointing out and say hey i need your vote on this come hell or high water. it's not an easy fight. harry reid bragged that he knows about guns because his father shot himself in the head. that was the most bizarre bragging i've seen in my life and it's pathetic. i know it's a high hurdle, and i'm not putting it all on the president but this is a way of trying and being artful.

>> michael: by saying it deserves a vote. it deserves a vote. of course it's grandiose but this was a "tear down this wall, mr. gore we chef chef." this was subtle and you're saying you're standing in the way of everything. >> cenk, if i can give you one thing to be angry about, the progressives should be justifiably nervous tonight the president's anemic defense of medicare and social security. we can't taxpayers to shoulder the entire burden without asking for of the wealthy. no they're not something that. the equation is while 80% it's okay to have working class shoulder the burden. no, it should be the other way around according to progressives. for the president not to offer

more muscular defense for social security medicare and leave open the possibility that he's willing to allow that certain benefit cuts to social security, that's still out this. i think for progressives, that's got to be awfully nerve-wracking nerve-wracking. >> john: if i may, i would have felt more comfortable if the president stopped talking about them as entitlements but as what they really are earned benefits. >> cenk: when talking about social security and medicare, he said we shouldn't touch those and here is marco rubio. if you thought i didn't like president obama's speech, wait until you get a load of this one. >> i'm honored to be addressing our brave men and women who serve in diplomatic posts around the world. you may be thousands of miles away, but you are always in our prayers. the state of the union address is a reminder of how unique america is. for much of human history people

were trapped in stagnant societies where a tiny minority always stayed on top and no one else even had a chance. but america's exceptional because we believe every life at every stage is precious. and that everyone everywhere has a god-given right to go as far as their talents and hard work will take them. like most americans for me this ideal is personal. my parents immigrated here in pursuit of the opportunity to improve their life and give their children the chance for a better one. they made it as a middle class. my dad as a bartender and my mom as a cashier and maid. i didn't inherit money from them, but i inherited something far better, the real opportunity to accomplish my dreams. it isn't bestowed on us from

washington. it's when people work to start a business, and then when they succeed see hire more people. people from both parties from john f. kennedy to ronald reagan know that economy is the source of our middle class prosperity. but president obama, he believes that it's the cause of oh our problems. the economic town turn happened because our government didn't spend enough, take control enough. his solution to virtually every problem we face is for washington to tax more, borrow more and spend more. this idea that our problems were caused by a government that was too small is just not true. in fact, the major cause of our recent down turn was a housing crisis created by reckless government policies. and the idea that more taxes and more government spending is the best way to help hard working middle class taxpayers welcome

that's an idea that has tried. more government is not going to get you ahead. it will hold you back. it's not going to inspire more ideas, new businesses and jobs, it's going to create uncertainty because it breathes rules and laws that small businesses can't afford to follow because more government raises taxes on employers who pass the costs on to their employees through fewer hours, lower pay and even layoffs. and because many government programs that claim to help the middle class often end up hurting them. for example obama-care. it was supposed to help middle class americans afford health insurance. but now some people are losing the health insurance they were happy with. and because obama-care created expensive requirements for companies with more than 50 employees, now many of these companies aren't hiring. not only that they're being forced to lay people off and switch in full-time employees to

part-timeworkers. toes this mean that this is no role for government? of course not. it provides rules and keeping some security in the risks of life. but government's role is wisely limited by the constitution. this are valid reasons to be concerned about the president's plan to grow our government. but any time anyone opposes the president's agenda, he and his allies respond by falsely attack attacking their motives. when we point out that no matter how job killing laws we pass our government can't control the weather. he accuses us of wanting dirty water and t-shirty dirty air. he accuses of wanting to leave the elderly and disabled to fend for themselves. tonight he criticized us for refuseing to raise tax toss at the lay military cuts. cuts that were his idea in the

first mace. but his favorite attack of all are those of us who tonight agree with him that we only care about rich people. mr. president, i still live in the same working class neighborhood i grew up in. my neighbors aren't millionaires. they're retirees who dependent on social security and medicare. they're workers who have to get up early tomorrow morning and go to work to pay the bills. they're immigrants who came here because they were stuck in poverty in the countries where the government dominated the economy. the spending that you propose will hurt middle class families. it will cost them their raises. it will cost them their benefits. it may even cost them their jobs. it will hurt seniors because it does nothing to save medicare and social security. mr. president i tonight oppose your plan because i want to protect the rich. i oppose your plan because i want to protect my neighbors. hard working americans who tonight need us to come up with a plan to grow the government.

they need a plan to grows the middle class. economic growth is the best way to help the middle class. our economy shrank in the last three months of 2012, but if we can get the economy to grow 4% a year, it would create middle class jobs and it would reduce our deficits by 4 trillion-dollar over the next decade. tax increases can't to this. raising taxes won't raise private sector jobs and this is no realistic tax increase that will lower our deficits by 4 trillion-dollar. that's why i hope the president had abandon his obsession with raising taxes and instead work with us to achieve real growth in our economy. one of the best ways to encourage growth is through our energy industry. of course, solar and wind energy should be part of our energy portfolio. but god blessed america with abundance oil oil and natural

gas. instead of investing in companies like solindra, etc. have safe oil exploration. if we can grow our energy industry it will make us energy independent and it will help bring manufacturing back from placing like china. simplifying our tax code will also help the middle class because it will make it ease we're for small businesses to hire and grow. now we agree with the president. we should lower our corporate tax rate, it's one of the highest in the world so companies had bring their money and their jobs back here from overseas. we can also help grow our economy if we have a legal immigration system that allows us to attract and asip late the world's best and brightest. we need a responsible permanent solution to the problem of those who are here illegally. we must follow through on the propses of the past to secure our borders and enforce our laws. helping middle class to grow

will require an education system that will give people the skills today's jobs entail and the knowledge that tomorrow's will require. we need to incentivize school districts to offer more advance placement courses and career training, and we need to give all parents especially the parents of children are special needs to opportunity to send their children to the school of their choice. because college tuition costs have grown so fast we need a way to pay for higher education. i believe in federal financial aid. i couldn't have gone to college without it. but it's not just about spending more money but strengthening and modernizing them. the workforce should not be forced to accept 20th century education. today's students are not 18-year-olds. they're returning veterans, they're parents returning to school to get the education they need to earn a dent wage.

we need programs that to notties crimenotdiscriminate against students. when i finished school i owed $100,000 in student loans, a debt i paid off just a few months ago. today many graduates face massive student loans. all these measures are keyed to grow the my. yet we won't be able to sustain a vibrant middle classes in we solve our debt problem. every dollar our government borrows is money that isn't being invested to create jobs. and the uncertainty created is one of the reasons why businesses aren't hiring. the president likes to blame president bush but president obama has created four times the apt of debt then in 2008.

we need a balanced budget amendment. the biggest obstacle to balancing the budget are programs that are already locked in. one of these programs is medicare. it's especially important to me. it provided my father the care he needed to battle cancer and ultimately to die with with dignity. it cares for my mother now. i would never. take away the care that helps my mother. but anyone who leaves it the ways is now is in favor of bankrupting. a plan that helps save medicare. when is the president going to offer his detailed plan to save it? tonight would have been a good time to do it. he faces other challenges as well. we were all heartbroken by the recent tragedy in connecticut we must effectivelyi'lye vase erase the

violence in america. property and safeguarding human rights. the world is a better place when america is the strongest nation on earth but we can't remain powerful if we tonight have an my that can afford it. in a short time that i've been here in washington nothing has frustrated me more than false choices that the president laid out tonight. the choices just between big government and big business. what we need is an account be accountable efficient government that allows businesses to create more middle class jobs. we tonight have to raise taxes to avoid cuts to our military. this is a plan that replaces these could you tell us with spending reform. to balance the budget doesn't mean higher taxes or benefit

cuts to those in need. we should grow our economy to create new tax payers and not new taxes. the government can help those who truly cannot help themselves. the truth is every problem can't be solved by the government. many are caused by the moral breakdown in our society. and the answer to these lie primarily in our family and our faith, not our politicians. ties spitedespite our differences, i pray we can come together to solve our problems because the choices before us could not be more important. if we can get our economy healthy again our children will be the most prosperous americans ever. if we to not, we will forever be known as the generation responsible for america's at the decline. at a time when one showdown after another of short-term dells that to nothing about our problems some believe our

government can't make the right choices any more. but the strength has never opposite from the white house or the capital it has always come from our people. a people united by the american idea if you have a dream and you're willing to work hard, nothing should be impossible. americans have always celebrated and been inspired by those who succeed. but it's the dreams of those who are still trying to make it that sets our nation apart. tonight all across this land parents had hold our newborn children in their arms for the first time. many of these parents--for many of these parents life has not gone the way they planned. maybe they were born in circumstances they found difficult to escape. maybe they made mistakes along the way. maybe they are young mothers all alone. the fathers of their young child long gone. but tonight when they look into the eyes of their child for the first time their lives will change forever. because in those eyes they will see what my parents saw in me.

and what your parents saw in you. they will see all the hopes and dreams they once had for themselves. this dream of a better life for their children, it's the hope of parents everywhere. politicians here and throughout the world have long promised that more government can make those dreams come true. but we americans have always known better. from our earliest days we embrace economic liberty and because we did america remains one of the few places on earth where dreams like these even have a chance. each time our nation has faced great challenges, what has kept us together was our shared hope for a better life. now hit that hope bring us together again to solve the challenges of our time and write the next chapter in the amazing story of the greatest nation man has ever known. thank you for listening. may god bless all of you. may god bless our president. and may god continue to bless

the united states of america. >> cenk: may god bless--that speech was horror be horrible up until this moment. that was awesome. we'll break down that speech when we come back on current.

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>> cenk: we're back on current's coverage of the state of the

union, and fortunately the republican response gave that hilarious moment with marco rubio. it's already on video called "the sip heard around the world." we're here with michael shure host of the war room. john fugelsang host "the view" point, and alexis johnson also innew york and david shuster in washington, d.c. >> i thought it was the most most rebuttal since bobby jindal boy governor. i don't under how it's possible to sweat that much when you're speaking in total darkness, but we'll all agree there was snuff films with better lighting than marco rubio. >> cenk: are they ever going to say anything new these republicans? smaller governments, less taxes for the rich--oh, is it i say that out loud?

the same thing over and over oh obama is so mean to us. >> michael: cenk, we've watched these speeches for a lot of years, these rebuttals are a farce. they should get rid of them. this is so disconnected from the speech that obama gave not just in geography but what he was talking about. it did sound like he was talking to the people of iowa, i said that to the people in the studio here. that's all he could have possibly been doing. >> that's the right county point and the right lense to look at this. he is the antidote to the tea party of rand paul. that's why they gave marco rubio the opportunity. they're trying to elevate him and bring him back to the establishment side. how to the republican voters in rhode island and new hampshire how is it they look at this.

if marco rubio connected with them, then it's a mission accomplished. >> cenk: i think david exactly right about that. but alexis. when i see rubio, i think he comes across incredibly disingenuous. i don't know if i'm biased or not. but other republicans to a great job faking earnestness. did this speech seem robotic and acted out like almost all of rubio's stuff. >> this is what i'm concerned about. you basically have a candidate who is not an antidote to the tea party candidate. he is the tea party candidate talking about themes that have been going on and on over the last few years. he should be comfort be. he shouldn't get cotton mouth talking about it. if that's the future of the party. >> john: i free. david, i appreciate your point but wouldn't you agree he's not the alternative to the tea

party. the tea party brought marco rubio to the party. they'll torpedo home if they show choose. >> right but they have been going nuts on his immigration plan. this is amnesty that marco rubio was pushing forward. they want to clear a distinction that the tea party had not support immigration under any form, certainly not what marco rubio has been pushing. that's why you have the divide right now. >> john: we must point out to our republican friends. this is not amnesty. you're confusing it with what reagan is it. >> cenk: that's right. reagan would have been way to the left of obama on that immigration reform. but you could have taken that response and pasted it to the end of any democratic president state of the union speech. it was all the same about the president is mean to us. we want smaller government and less spending and more tax cuts,

and more defense spending. we got it. we got it. we got it. so let's move back to what is more important the president's state of the union address. i want to ask you twice if you were concerned about what david brought up before the republican response, which is the issue of social security and medicare. again, the first line he had on how he was going to protect it was really great. then when he started talking about reform that was code word for we will cut it to some degree. did you get the same sense? >> john: no, as i pointed out before the break, i wish this president would start calling them earned benefits and not entitlements. i know people in d.c. who know the president share with me their fears that his brand plan is some entitlement reform. it should be something that all americans should be worried about. social security does not need to be fixed.

i would rather hear him talk about saving the post office right now. i think it's a draft cause for-- for--a definite cause of concern. >> cenk: correct me if i'm wrong, but he's obsessed with i'm going to do something that my party is not going to like. i want you to do the same thing. and so give me a little bit on taxes, and i will cut social security and medicare for you. it seems the same thing he has been saying for a long time. >> michael: i stint hear the social security part of it but i have the same concerns. it is something like the legacy that bill clinton had with welfare reform. something that he was brought of. and i see barack obama leaning that way. but what david was talking about politics earlier. this was politics saying to the democratic party. i'm willing to give on medicare

and reforming medicare, now it's up to you to talk to me. if it doesn't happen, whatever doesn't happen he can blame on the republicans. i wasn't happy hearing that either, i'm curious if it was more political play than policy he was putting out this. >> they said they will not be raising the medicare eligibility age, but they is it mention they might play with the cpi which would be a you had on social security. michael, your point on bill clinton and his legacy of welfare reform was one i hadn't considered. that is a great point. president obama loves to copy examples of what he thinks is great administration, the clinton administration and as a progressive i'm not happy about that. again i want to point--throw it out to everybody here and discuss the idea of will there be any legislation that comes

out of speech and going forward other than immigration reform and background checks on guns? >> john: i would like to see the $9 minimum wage become a reality? >> cenk: to we have a shot? will republicans bend on that welcome. >> john: if the democrats bring the fight to the republicans the republicans will squash it at their own electoral peril. >> michael: that's right john. and the federal-state sponsored working with the states on preschool education. it brings some of the expense on to the states and forces republican governors to enter into the dialogue which is something that i'm sure the president would like to see them say no as well. that's one of the things they could put up, but the republicans will stand in the way of both of those things. >> i don't think they take up the $9 minimum wage.

the guns, the sequester. there just is no room for it. they have other priorities. it sounds good in the state of the union speech and the political atmospheric yes it sounds great and plays well and they poll-tested it and americans strongly believe in raising the minimum wage. but as far as action of the legislation, that's not a priority. >> cenk: i would not call that as screwy as when president bush talked about the mars colony. it does seem that i know congress is busy with heavy work load i wouldn't be surprised if its kicked town the road. >> yes, we stood for minimum wage and the republicans would not let us have the vote. they were against it. if they can make that a 2014 issue, that's forward looking. but there is too much that the

president and stems are trying to deal with to try to go there. >> cenk: i think it's a good point by david. we're going to tackle those major issues and a lot of what is in the state of the union is rhetoric that hope ofly sets up future action. we'll see, of course, if they follow through on that. i want to thank everyone for being part of our current coverage, john fugelsang alexis mcbillions son both of new york and david shuster is in washington, d.c. and of course we'll be back with our programs, "viewpoint," "the war room," and tomorrow on current. we thank all of you for being with us.